NITLE Shared Academics: The Synchronous International Classroom: New Directions for Cost Control of Foreign Study Programs

This seminar presents an unusual relationship between Southwestern University, a liberal arts college located in the United States, and a partially American-managed archaeological research institute
…

This seminar presents an unusual relationship between Southwestern University, a liberal arts college located in the United States, and a partially American-managed archaeological research institute in Italy, the Restoring Ancient Stabiae Foundation. Dr. Thomas Noble Howe will outline ways of maintaining the high standards of American liberal arts colleges—with their intimate interactions between students and faculty—while combining education abroad and synchronous distance learning in a way that more affordably facilitates the insertion of international experiences into increasingly “sequenced” majors. With receptive faculty, good equipment, and reliable backup, a system may be established that obviates the need to replace faculty who are abroad and allows students studying abroad to follow essential courses for their majors. In this seminar, Dr. Howe shares his vision for providing students with international experience through collaboration with unusual international foundations like the Stabiae Foundation. Through discussion with colleagues at NITLE Network institutions, participants will examine possibilities for internationalizing the classroom through partnerships and emerging technologies.

Bryn Mawr used NITLE&apos;s Telepresence infrastructure to allow alumnus to attend a weekly history course during the Fall semester Working with CAPA International, an organization that supports study abroad programs, we attempted to link faculty and students from Southwestern University to their cohorts in the London program NITLE is reaching out to NITLE member institutions to capture data points on their telepresence capabilities and documenting remote collaboration possibilities

3.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
The Challenge:
-Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S. produce about 4% of all graduates, but
also a disproportionate number of professional leaders.
-It is a very expensive type of education (usually), particularly because it
demands a low teacher-student ratio, and close interaction of good
teacher-professors and students in small classes.
-in the last ten years, many more students have entered international
careers, and therefore foreign experience and language education have
become essential to the value of a liberal arts education. (Now,
including China…) Graduates who are not prepared for an international
career may have no career.
-small colleges (well, all colleges, and students) in the U.S. are under
stringent financial stress, and study abroad is expensive, and interrupts
increasingly complicated “sequenced” majors.

4.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
The Challenge:
-Is Synchronous Distance Learning capable of reconstructing the
intimate and immediate interaction of the classroom of small Liberal
Arts Colleges?
-Can it work internationally?

5.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
The overseas institutional partner:
The Vesuvian Institute of the
Restoring Ancient Stabiae Foundation:
a multi-functioning research and study center on the Bay of Naples.

9.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
Management Structure: changing world archaeology
toward sustainable, shared management of major sites
-Master Plan 2001
-The Legal Structure of the Foundation (2002) consists of international board
representation from:
-The Superintendancy of Archaeology of Pompei (Prof. P.G. Guzzo)
-The School of Architecture of the University of Maryland (Prof. Matthew Bell)
-The Committee of Stabiae Reborn, Castellammare di Stabia (Notaio F. Spagnuolo)
Coordinator General: Prof. Thomas Howe
A non-profit cultural institution in Italy as the first foundation of its type created under a 1998 law which
allows for the creation of a new type of semi-public, semi-private institution which can both receive and
spend both state and private funds, from Italy and abroad.
-R.A.S. incorporation in the U.S., 2005 (Washington, D.C.), non-profit 501-3c
-Contratto di Sponsorizazzione, Jan. 2006. Gives RAS the concession to coordinate all other
institutions on the site for execution of Master Plan.
Global Budget: €140 million, 2/3 provided by the Region of Campania if 1/3 can be found by RAS
Foundation

17.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
June 15, 2007 Open for International
Educational Groups
-A former Salesian College
-A residential center for undergraduate and graduate international
programs for students and researchers in archaeology, medieval,
Renaissance and Baroque art and history, History of Opera,
Neapolitan folk music, architecture, etc.…
-Hosting academic credit programs from study abroad centers
-Accredited programs in language, culture, archaeology, art
history.
The Vesuvian International Institute for Archaeology and Humanities
of the Restoring Ancient Stabiae Foundation

18.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
A vibrant international study and research center, not a
“ghetto-like” study abroad residence hall
A vibrant international study and research center, not a
“ghetto-like” study abroad residence hall

19.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
A bustling port town at the foot of the hill, a constant stream of
international visitors from Spain, Germany, Russia, Brazil, etc.
A bustling port town at the foot of the hill, a constant stream of
international visitors from Spain, Germany, Russia, Brazil, etc.

26.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
Liberal Arts and “Eclectic Acculturation:”
Southern Italy—located at the unstable crossroads of the formation of
several great world cultures and conflicts—is a locus for young people to
evolve and revise their cultural identity in constellation with many
ancient and recent cultures.

29.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
Structuring the Synchronous Classroom which relies on the
“theatrics” of .ppt AND teacher-student interaction

30.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
The Main Classroom,
with professor, with
.ppt lecture
The Distant Classroom
Lecture screen Screen with
distant
students
Screen with students and prof.
from main classroom
Camera of professor
and classroom
Lecture
screen
camera
Small distant
group
Large
distant
group

32.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
The Distant ClassroomScreen with students and prof.
from main classroom
Lecture
projector
screen
camera
Small distant
group
Large
distant
group

33.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
The requirements for facilities and spaces:
The Main Classroom: The Distant classroom:
Small-college classrooms, c. 25-30; small “cubicles” for 1-6 students?
Distant groups at
one or multiple
institutions
Other Main
Classrooms
Standard small
college classes
of c.25
Students at Stabia taking several
classes from home campus

34.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
Main Classroom, Italy: courses
projected from classrooms,
archaeological sites, fieldtrips
Stabia, Vesuvian Institute, ITALYHome College, USA
Distant Classroom(s): Individual
or small groups of students takings
courses from Italy (e.g. Italian
language, archaeology, art history)
at one or several colleges
Main Classroom: Courses at
students’ home universities which
allow individual students abroad to
continue following their sequence
of required courses
Distant Classroom, Italy:
Individual or small groups of
students in Italy participating in
telepresence in classes at home
Univ.

35.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
Digitally [partly] solving the library problem:
Much bibliography in the humanities is quite old and therefore essential
books are often out of print, making it almost impossible for a new study
abroad center to start an effective teaching library. Digital library
services and e-books may make it possible partly to solve this.

40.
W W W . S T A B I A E . O R G
June 15, 2007 Open for International
Educational Groups
-A former Salesian College
-A residential center for undergraduate and graduate
international programs for students and researchers in
archaeology, medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art
and history, History of Opera, Neapolitan folk music,
architecture, etc.…
-Hosting academic credit programs from study abroad
centers
-and non-accredited programs in language, culture,
archaeology, art history.
The Vesuvian International Institute for Archaeology and Humanities